Framework for portable building



p 1956 E. A. NISWCJNGER ET AL 2,764,107

FRAMEWORK FOR PORTABLE BUILDING Filed Jan. 25, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mq A a4- MM INVENTOR. 1526/1300 ,4. Man/gym yona KPH/ Mime/yer ATTORNEYS mph 25,. 1956 E. A. mswmmafizm ET AL EW WW FRAMEWORK FOR PORTABLE BUILDING Filed Jan. 25, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet B United States Patent FRAMEWORK FOR PORTABLE BUILDING Emerson A. Niswonger and Keith E. Niswonger, Wallace, Kans.

Appiication .lianuary 25, 1951, Serial No. 207,786 1 Claim. (Cl. 108-23) This invention relates to a portable building or shelter and particularly to a skeleton structure therefor. For example, graziers of cattle and sheep transport their herds from one grazing location to another and they require relatively large shelters to protect the animals from the weather. Such sheds must be easily transported and quickly erected and dismantled with a minimum of labor, and the structures must be capable of withstanding the severe winds and roof loads usually encountered on grazing lands.

It is therefore the principal objects of the present inven tion to provide a skeleton structure that is of light weight and strong construction, which is quickly and easily erected and dismantled without skilled labor, and in which the parts may be easily transported from one grazing site to another.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a skeleton structure composed of sections for erecting a shelter of a desired size; and to :provide a structure which utilizes tubular members since such members have a high strength, low weight ratio and are adapted to be easily welded together with the necessary fittings for connecting one section with another.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention hereinafter pointed out, we have provided improved structure the preferred form of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of one end of the skeleton work of a shelter or building embodying the features of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the sections composing one of the roof trusses and showing the method of connecting the sections together at the ridge of the bulding.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section showing the truss sections after they have been connected together.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view showing the manner of connecting the ridge pole with the intermediate trusses.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the outer end of one of the roof trusses particularly illustrating support thereof and the manner of connecting the cave plates or joists at the cave of the roof.

Pig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of one corner of the skelton structure particularly illustrating one of the brace members and connection thereof with the cave plates or joists and adjacent truss.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section showing support of a truss on a supporting post.

Pig. 8 is a detail perspective view showing the method of connecting the purlins or joists with the roof trusses, the joists being shown in disconnected spaced relation with respect to the trusses.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the ridge portion of one of the outer trusses showing the method of connecting one of the ridge plates or joists, the ridge joist being shown in disconnected spaced relation to better illustrate the construction.

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Fig. 10 is a fragmentary section through a modified form of fasteners for the roof joists or purlins.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

1 designates a skeleton structure for a portable building or shed that is constructed in accordance with the present invention. The skeleton structure includes outer roof trusses 2 and a series of intermediate trusses 3 supported on posts 4 at the respective ends of the trusses. In the illustrated instance, each truss is composed of rafter-like sections 5 and 6 that are removably connected together at the ridge portions thereof to promote portability thereof. Each section is of identically the same construction and comprises upper and lower cords or rafters 7 and 8 that are preferably formed of tubular members and which are connected at their outer ends by tubes 9 and at their inner ends by king plates '10 that are of longer length than the tubes 9. The ends of the tubular members 7 and 8 are preferably welded to the tubes 9 and king plates 10 so that the tubes 9 and king plates 10 are substantially perpendicular when the truss sections are in position in the roof structure. The upper and lower cords of the rafter-like sections are interconnected at spaced points along the ends thereof by queen posts 1'1 that are also preferably formed of tubular stock and are welded at the ends to the respective cords. The queen posts are braced by struts 12 arranged in any suitable pattern. The tubes 9 constitute sockets 13 for receiving the upper ends of the posts which abut against straps 1 4 that are welded diametrically across the upper ends of the tubes as best shown in Figs. 5 and 7.

The king plates 10 of the respective truss sections are provided with means for securing the sections together as now to be described. 'Spaced below the upper ends of the king plates 10 a distance substantially conforming with the width of the ridge poles or joists 15 are sleeve members 16 and 17 that are spaced apart on the face of one of the plates and a single transverse sleeve member 18 that is fixed to the other king plate and adapted to engage between the sleeve members 16 and 17. Also attached in similar but alternate relation at the lower ends of the king plates 10 are similar spaced sleeve members '19 and 20 and an intermediate member '21. The sleeve members may be formed of short sections of tubular stock that are welded transversely to the inner faces of the plates as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3. When the truss sections are placed in alignment with the members 18 and 21 engaged. between the members 16- 17 and 19-20 respectively, the sections are connected together by pins 22 and 23 that are passed through the registering bores 24 in the sleeve members, as best shown in Fig. 3. With this arrangement the sections of the truss are rigidly retained in alignment with each other as best shown in Fig. l. The struts between the king plates and the adjacent queen posts may be arranged to transmit loads against the king plates at the points of the cleat members as shown in Fig. 3.

Fixed to the inner sides of the upper cord members of the outer trusses and both opposite sides 3 the intermediate trusses are channel-like brackets 25 having wedge-shaped sockets 26 opening from the upper ends thereof as indicated at 2.7 to receive similarly formed wedge-shaped heads 28 that are attached to the ends of the cave joists or plates 29 and intermediate joists or purlins 30 for connection with the respective trusses as best shown in Pig. 1. The joists may be formed of any suitable material, for example, lumber of standard dimension and which is readily attainable. The wedge-shaped heads 28 may be carried by webs 31 having lateral base flanges 32 which may be secured to the ends of the joists by suitable fastening devices such as nails or screws. The ridge joists or plates are of similar construction and are inserted between the king plates of the truss sections for 3 support on the uppermost cleat members 16 as shown in Fig. 3.

The ridge joists or plates are interconnected as best shown in Fig. 4, each joist being provided with a plate 33 and 34 at their respective ends that are attached to the side faces of the joists by fastening devices such as bolts 35. The plates project from the ends of the joists and terminate in oppositely disposed flanges 36 and 37 on the respective ends of said joists and are also provided with cleats 38 secured as by welding to the opposite sides relative to the flanges 36 and 37 and are spaced therefrom so that when the flanges are in hooked relation and inserted in the slot formed by the connection of the truss members 5 and 6, the cleats will contact the opposite sides of the king plates and maintain a tight union of the neighboring ends of the joists. The outer-most plates are formed as above described and are attached to the end trusses in a similar manner wherein one of the king plates is provided with a cleat 39 over which the flange 37 is hooked and held in contact therewith by the cleats 38 bearing on the sides of the king plate 10.

The juncture of the trusses with the cave joists or plates are preferably connected by braces 41 having similar T- shaped fasteners 42 that are adapted to engage in channel-like brackets 43 similar to the attaching brackets previously described.

In assembling the skeleton structure to form a shelter of a given length, a suitable number of the roof truss sections are selected and connected together with the king plate ends thereof in facing relation and with the sleeve members 1S-21 engaging between the pairs of sleeve members 16-17 and 19-20, after which the pins 22 and 23 are inserted through the registering bores or openings 24. The ends of the posts 4 are then inserted in the sockets formed by the tubes 9 with the upper ends of the posts abutting against the straps 14 as shown in Fig. 5. The trusses may then be raised and spaced apart by the ridge and cave joists or plates and 29, the wedgeshaped heads 28 on the ends of the cave joists 29 being moved into engagement with the wedge shaped sockets attached to the ends of the respective trusses. The ridge joists or plates 15 are then inserted with the flanges 36 and 37 of the plates 33 and 34 interengaged and positioned between the king plates 10 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The intermediate joists or purlins are then applied in a manner similar to the cave joists or plates after which the diagonal braces 41 are engaged with the cave joists and the sockets 43 on the upper cords 7 of the roof trusses as shown in Fig. 6. A suitable covering which forms no part of the invention but which is disclosed and claimed in a copending application filed even date herewith is applied to the skeleton structure to complete the shelter.

It is to be noted that when the pins 22 and 23 are in place and the ridge sections are connected together and engaged between the king plates 10 of the neighboring ends of the respective rafter sections, the hook-like flanges 36 and 37 cannot become disengaged. Also, the ridge sections form a rigid union between the rafter sections by preventing hinging movement of the rafter sec tions on the pins 22 and 23.

The skeleton structure is readily disassembled by reversing the operations.

In Fig. 10 is illustrated a modified structure utilizing tubes and 51 as the roof joists. These tubes are secured together at their ends and to the roof trusses by tongues 52 Welded to an end of one member as shown at 53 and which extend through loops 54 that are attached to the undersides of the truss members 7. The free ends of the tongues have apertures 55 to pass studs 56 that are carried by plates 57 welded to the adjacent end of the next joist. The pin 56 has a transverse opening 58 to pass a cotter pin 59 which retains the parts in assembly.

From the foregoing, it is obvious that we have provided a skeleton structure for portable building wherein the parts are readily interconnected when the shelter is to be erected and which are readily disconnected when the shelter is to be dismantled for transportation to another grazing site.

It is also obvious that the skeleton structure is of strong, light weight construction and is adapted to withstand relatively high winds and loads to which such structures are subjected.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A roof frame for a building including laterally spaced apart roof trusses arranged in parallel alignment and each including rafter-like sections having king plates on neighboring ends of said sections with the king plate on one section having a flat face side facing a corresponding fiat face side of the king plate on the neighboring section, a plurality of vertically aligned spaced sleeves having rigid mounting on the faces of said king plates with the sleeves on one king plate in registry with spaces between the sleeves of the other king plate, said sleeves having vertically aligned bores, pins extending through said bores to secure said neighboring ends of the sections together, the upper of said sleeves being down-set from upper ends of the king plates to provide space between the king plates for receiving ridge members, aligned ridge members, plates fixed to adjacent ends of the aligned ridge members with a portion of the plate on one ridge n1ember lapping a portion of the plate on the other ridge member within said space between the king plates, said plates having interengaging flanges on said facing sides of said lapping portions of the plates, and said plates having outer face sides closely engaging the flat facing sides of the king plates to maintain interengagement of said flanges and to form a rigid union between the neighboring ends of the rafter sections for preventing hinging of the rafter sections on said pins.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

